As I approach my 1 year band anniversary date I am just thinking how silly and uninformed I was prior to surgery. I guess I was thinking this would be a magic device but it is just a tool where i have to do my part too.

What do you guys wish you knew before surgery?

I am just the opposite. I just passed the 5 month mark and had no surprises.

I wish someone had told me that it might take a few months to get it adjusted right - I expected to start losing immediately, unfortunately it took 4 mths to get the right tightness and then I started losing.

Marci

To be honest, there's nothing about banded life that has been unexpected or surprising. Its what I was led to believe based on both what my doctor said and what I found mainly on this forum.

Ok - I am only 11 days in, but I am AMAZED at the emotional and pyschological affect of a small surgical implant.... but I don't think most doctors can really understand this unless they were obese or have the band. It amazes me every day.

Hi there. Although I am not banded ( I will be Aug 17) I can understand how you must feel. I don't think anyone can comprehend the changes and emotions until actually going through it.

I go through a ton of different emotions each day as the day gets closer to surgery. I have waited for this for such a long time so I am thrilled. My biggest concern is for my husband and the changes he will go through as he supports me.

Have you been to a support group yet? I went to a group meeting and it was helpful to listen and receive support from others that have already been through it. I really learned a lot. If you haven't been going, it might be place to get what you need. It was an emotional experience being with everyone in that group. I am very happy that I went and look forward going back again.

Ok - I am only 11 days in, but I am AMAZED at the emotional and pyschological affect of a small surgical implant.... but I don't think most doctors can really understand this unless they were obese or have the band. It amazes me every day.

Having a banded doctor is the exact reason I see him. He is the head of his obesity group, and the only doctor that has been banded. He, also, has several nurses working for him that are banded. My daughter goes to a colleague, and he is skinny. His response to her are eat less, excersie more. You will lose weight.

I wish they would have told me more about getting food stuck and the throwing up. I ate last night and I went to bed when it still hadn't went down and I woke up coughing up flem and it's horrible...

Looking back I wish I had been more prepared for the emotional and psychological changes that I needed to make. That was the hardest part of the journey other than changing my eating habits.

The banded part of the journey has been pretty uneventful for me other than a few episodes and a too tight band for 6-8 weeks. Other than that, the biggest part is the process that you go through to make better choices and adjust to your new lifestyle. As the weight came off, my outlook changed, my mood, my perceptions and who I am changed. I no longer just sit by and let things happen because I don't want to be noticed or have people judge me due to my weight. They will judge anyway, but let it be on something other than size.

I didn't fully realize all the positive things that have happened as a result of losing the weight. Not even thinking if I'm going to fit in a chair, heels don't hurt anymore, seatbelts fit, riding a bike, hiking, and basically being able to do most things without pain...the list goes on.

The hunger before reaching a decent restriction was surprising. Known as bandster-hell.

The mental impact has been the most shocking. I am much less of a doormat. I am now "The Bitch" at work. ( I really want to be "The SKINNY Bitch though :redface:)

It is empowering and I never realized by being "the fat one" how much I let people crap on me. My friends have had mixed response: One is very happy and encouraging, the other immediately joined WW -again-the week I was banded. I know that she wanted to "out-lose" me so she could say she did it w/o a crutch. That failed again, as it did for me so many times.

I am much less sensitive and more likely to tell you about yourself. I LOVE IT!

Side note: The male, sexy, young gym teacher at school said he thinks my new attitude is sexy! LOL

He was just humoring an old lady, but it felt good!

1-that 2 weeks out I'd be starving...I knew it took "a bit" to find restriction...I didn't realize I'd feel like I was starving to death before I got there.

2-that I was losing what I thought was my best friend (food) and would have a mourning period where I felt lost...it wasn't terrible, just very, very unexpected.

3-how freaking good it would feel to start having clothes fall off and not be avoiding mirrors any longer.

I have NO regrets (except maybe not doing it sooner). And nothing has been terrible by any means. Recovery was a piece of cake and I a thrilled with where I am at this point.

I like that you all are talking about the emotional and psychological effects. I think those changes are my biggest concern. The physical side of it seems like all positives to me. The emotional/psychological seems more like a huge unknown. It's good to hear you talk about it. Thanks for sharing.

Having a banded doctor is the exact reason I see him. He is the head of his obesity group, and the only doctor that has been banded. He, also, has several nurses working for him that are banded. My daughter goes to a colleague, and he is skinny. His response to her are eat less, excersie more. You will lose weight.

It's funny - I picked my doctor because he had the band (and because of his reputation). But he still broke it down... "Do you know why skinny girls are skinny??" Why doc? "Because they close their mouths and stop eating." Hmmm... he isn't that wrong in the vast majority of case. It is my hope that my band will help me fake the skinny girl mentality until I take it on for real :redface:

Jen-like I said above, I had a bit of a mourning period. I realized about 5 or 6 weeks in that I wasn't myself...I was just kind of blue, nothing terrible, but not my happy cheerful self. Eventually I figured it out. I have spent my entire adult life filling the gaps with food...when I was sad, I ate, when I was happy, I ate, when my heart got broke, I ate...and suddenly I couldn't eat. I hadn't been cooking much and I really missed the whole concept of a good meal so I started cooking again. Completely different than before, focusing much more on quality than quantity instead like before when it was all about how much I could make so I could fill myself up. I can buy better stuff because I don't have to buy as much.

It took a couple weeks to pull myself out of the funk but I filled it with exercise and playing with my six year old son and I am awesome now. Food and I have a MUCH better relationship. I enjoy good food, but I'm no longer the obsessed teenager following it around worrying about it all the time. In a way, it makes me feel free :redface:

My doc had talked to me pre-op about my relationship with food but I was not prepared for what I felt, it was truly, on many levels, like losing my best friend.

Good luck!

My shrink talked to me a lot pre-op about the emotional things - and the lifestyle things (my husband is a chef for the love of God). But I have to say for me, so far (and its only 2 weeks), the emotional and pyschological things have been like revelations - AH-HA moments - that give me some joy and happiness. Like I finally understand something or have clarity about why I couldn't do it by myself.... things like that. I have moments of feeling the enormity of my decision and commitment - but in general I am so happy - and get up in the morning excited to see what the day will be like (and I never felt that before...).

I was very fortunate. What my doctor did not tell me, I learned on my own. I have not had any postop surprises.